I will chime in later after finishing my last of three viewings of the Kirov at OCPAC. I did catch the Somova/Kolb Swan Lake last night and I am glad I saw this one with my own eyes! I can understand the raised eyebrows and I even caught some of the dancers on stage rolling their eyes at Somova while she was dancing Odile! However, I will say that Kolb was the partner of partners! HE deserves an award for making his ballerina (Somova) look good, very good. What hands he has. He is also such a clean classical danseur that It was a smart pairing. He gave crediblity to his extremely young and not- ready- for- prime time partner.

The R and J I saw was with Kolb and Golub, who did not move me but seemed like a fine dancer. Today I see Vishneva and Fadeev. I hope it is delightful.

Cygne, thank you so much for your comments. From what I've seen of Ulyana Lopatkina and Daria Pavlenko I totally agree with you. They are fantastic !

Andre, you are not the only one on the internet at the moment that is enthused with the wonderful corps de ballet performances on this tour. I've just been watching some videos and what stands out for me about the corps de ballet and Kirov-Mariinsky dancers in general, in addition to what you have mentioned, is the total poetry of their moves. Perhaps it is the entirety just being greater that all of the parts.

An idea that I have in regard to dancers such as Ulyana Lopatkina and Daria Pavlenko is the importance of the dance itself to deliver a message rather that relying on some form of acting or mime. Perhaps this is already a known Kirov-Mariinsky characteristic. From the little I've seen of Ulyana Lopatkina and Daria Pavlenko the expression in the dance itself is very encompassing. Whether it is used to speak like words and be part of the story, or used to transcend the story, or intended to reflect it's own beauty is perhaps something interesting to think about in regard to their performances.

Ultimately, though, whatever they are doing, they are doing it absolutely beautifully !

I just got back from three performances of the Kirov Ballet's Swan Lake at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. It was completely worth a trip from San Francisco—the corps de ballet alone was worth traveling for: crisp and affecting in every performance. Overall, the company looked much sharper than I remember them last October in Berkeley (except when Diana Vishneva danced Sleeping Beauty—that seemed to instantly raise the company's level of dancing). Victoria Tereshkina's Odette/Odile at the Saturday matinee was a new dancer to me and I was moved by her Odette—soulful, beautifully articulated, contained dancing; her Odile revealed the unlived side of Odette: radiant, seductive, extroverted, with extremely expressive arms and her eyes. Her Odile reminded me a bit of one of my favorite Odile's, Yulia Makhalina's (it made me wonder if Makhalina coached her.) I don't quite understand how a member of the corps, Alina Somova, got to star in the Saturday 8 pm performance (while Diana Vishneva was given the Sunday matinee). I had seen Alina's Aurora in Berkeley, and I think the role of Odette/Odile is even less appropriate for her. She has the steps, and moves nicely, but she is simply too young to inhabit the role with authority. Watching her made me realize that the music and choreography for Swan Lake is so magnificent that it makes almost any dancer look good.

I've seen Diana Vishneva's Aurora and Giselle, and I had heard that Odette/Odile wasn't her best role, but I have to say her performance of Swan Lake today was the most memorable one I've seen. Vishneva's Odette displays such a range of emotions—fear, desire, vulnerability, hope, partly through her expressive eyes and face, but mostly through her movement, the full use of her entire body, and her oneness with the music. And no dancer I saw this weekend conveyed so clearly that she was the Queen of the swans. Her Odile is not only regal, she is tremendously glamorous (Rita Hayworth came to mind for a minute) but she never overdoes it, and as Odile she conveys a wide range of subtle emotions; above all there is simply the sheer joy she takes in dancing beautifully. She knows how to convey this joy. The standing ovation at the end of the performance, from orchestra to the last seat in the balcony, seemed absolutely genuine. No dancer receives the appreciation of an audience with as much grace; and she knows how to give appreciation, too: she gave a deep, knee-to-the-floor, bow to the corps de ballet, almost, it felt, on behalf of all of us. I'm very glad I was able to be there.

I hope no one minds my joining in. I would like to concur with everything bcx stated. I too saw three performances of SL the last three days (I only missed Tereshkina's Sat. matinee). I also saw all three R&J's. I'm new to this forum, so I ask for your indulgence. But I was so moved by Vishneva's performance tonight (technically last night at this point) and by all the performances this last week, that I need to share some of how I'm feeling...

After everything I had read online, as well as seeing Diana Vishneva's Juliet on Tuesday, I was expecting to be impressed with her Odette/Odile. But I wasn't expecting the life-changing experience I had with Uliana Lopatkina's O/O on Friday night. Before bcx's comments, I can't even recall ever reading any positive comments about Vishneva's Odette. Even Vishneva doesn't mention it when she talks about her favorite roles. But IMHO, her performance tonight was comparable to Lopatkina's. And I mean that as the ultimate compliment to both.

Also based on what I had read lately, I was even pleasantly surprised with Alina Somova's preformance, but it certainly wasn't at the level of her 'principal dancer' colleagues. I could be more specific - and maybe I should be - but since I'm new on this forum, I don't want to risk overstepping my bounds too quickly. I'll just mention that Diana's performance tonight was exquisite enough to compell me to join this forum and share my exhilaration at 3:30 in the morning.

Regarding the Juliets this week, I have always so much preferred the MacMillan R&J that it kept me distracted from being totally engrossed in Vishneva's opening performance. However, there were little things that caught my eye helping me realize I was watching something very special, such as the way she dropped asleep onto her bed after taking the potion, the passionate way she would run to Romeo (Andrian Fadeev) during the Pas de Deux's, and the climactic lift in the balcony scene where she was balanced upside down over Fadeev in a near vertical position. I'm probably being too naive to mention these things specifically, but at the time they had an impact on me.

I had the fortune of getting a second row center seat at the last minute for Wednesday night with Irina Golub as Juliet. She is beautiful, and I thought she was a competent dancer, but I didn't feel the magic that I felt the night before. Again, I hesitate to be specific as I am new at sharing my opinions with you. But I'll mention that the balcony scene lift was not nearly as vertical or as spectacular looking as from the night before.

With all the accolades I was hearing going to Vishneva's Juliet before and after Tuesday, I wasn't expecting much from Yevgenia Obraztsova. But, I thought she was incredible! Her smile and youthful radiance alone were worth the price of admission that night. But I frankly also felt that she was the best actor in that I always knew what she was trying to get across whether it be an emotion or a subtle nuance. And much of how I remembered Vishneva's performance, I saw a similar, more youthful version in Obraztsova's.

Why doesn't the Maryinsky use MacMillan's R&J?

...ok, I'm sorry for rambling on without really saying much. I just needed to get some of my ardor off my chest so I can come down enough to go to sleep. It was an incredible six days.

Welcome to CriticalDance, Brian and we're delighted about your "joining in". It is great to hear that these performances had such a strong impact. Like you I have always been impressed by Diana Vishneva and remember at a Gala event losing the plot on who was dancing what, but being particularly impressed by one dancer who turned out to be Vishneva, when I checked the programme.

On the recent UK visits, I have missed the performances of Yevgenia Obraztsova, but I know that she has made a very strong impression on a number of seasoned ballet watchers.

I share your enthusiasm for the MacMillan version of "R&J" with its superb love duets and attention to gender and social issues. But I guess that as the home of the original Soviet era productions, it would be difficult to bring in a foreign version. In addition, the Kirov production of "Manon" was very unconvincing and treated the ballet like a 19th C spectacle, ignoring all the political content. I saw a performance with a dance profession friend, but she left at the second interval, unable to stand it any longer.
Thanks again for your interesting comments, Brian, and I hope we hear from you regularly.

Thanks for your enthusiastic review and welcome to Critical Dance. I appreciated your comparing Uliana Lopatkina's performance with Diana Vishneva's in Swan Lake. It was a great disappointment that I couldn't see Lopatkina's performance. I met a fellow San Franciscan at the stage door who was a big Kirov fan (maybe not on Buddy's level but up there) and he said he simply could not choose between Uliana and Diana in this week's Swan Lake, but he did say someting about Lopatkina that makes me want to go to Chicago or Boston to see her: her warmth. That's what really stayed with him, and I find that one of the most attractive features of a great dancer.

I wish I knew the names of many of the demi-soloists, because I really enjoyed them, too. I was glad to see Ryu Ji Yeon, a beautiful dancer from Korea in the Spanish Dance. Did the Russians bring ballet to North Korea the way they brought ballet to Cuba? (I don't think they did, but it's a nice fantasy---art and beauty as a great country's true contribution to the world).

I thought Diana Vishneva gave us a very, very special white swan pas. From the first moment she appeared on stage with a floating, weightless bouree to the last moment of the pas in the arms of Igor Kolb, she had the entire audience holding its breath. If Lopatkina's white swan was the Platonic, intellectual, cold ideal of a white swan, Vishneva's was a warm-blooded, human swan whose expression of humanity was present in every detail of the performance from her hands to her eyes to her feet. The chemistry between Vishneva and Kolb was palpable and you could see two persons falling in love on stage.

That pas alone was worth the entire price of admission, which is fortunate, because she could not maintain that Olympian level of performance for the rest of the show, where she was merely very good. Her Black Swan tried too hard, and had several technical difficulties. The rest of the troupe danced very well however, and the orchestra actually brought their level of playing up a bit from previous days, which unfortunately is not asking that much. Kolb continued to impress with his very expressive arms and a big, weightless jump. If only I could have had Vishneva's white swan and Tereshkina's black swan ...

Some random observations. There are lots of red heads (especially copper colors) in the company. In some of the scenes with the white swans, the lighting reminded me of Santa Claus's hat with white feather headband against red hair. Speaking of lighting, I really loved the transition from sunny day to moonlit night in Act 1. That transition done against the music and dancing always brings a smile to my face and has an otherworldly magical effect.

Diana Vishneva appears to have her own costumes! We couldn't confirm whether her white swan costume was unique (though Art did point out that it seemed less floppy than the rest of the girls'), but her black swan costume was deifnitely unique: it had blue decorations, and the black part was velvety with an almost midnight blue color.

Thanks for the welcome Stuart and bxc. After rambling aimlessly late last night on this forum, I got little sleep. This morning I went to work out, but my lack of concentration forced me to cut it short. I can't sleep, work, or eat. I think I'm in love - with a Russian ballet company. How pathetic. In a way, I almost wish I had missed all performances by Vishneva and Lopatkina; I would have still been thoroughly impressed and happy with what I saw - and not haunted by those three performances.

But such is not the case, so I must ask you all to humor me as I share more random thoughts and comments. I'll understand if you don't bother reading further...

In Act 2, shortly before the white swan pas, Odette retreats from Siegfried when he initially approaches her. Vishneva took several steps back, keeping her distance from him on each of his advancing steps. I truly enhjoyed it - as I liked everything she did in Act 2. Somova took three steps back and then "fluttered" backward on toes a few feet more (pardon my ignorance on terminology). But, the reason I bring this moment up was from how Lopatkina coyly fluttered back away on toes, without taking a single step. It was very brief and would have been easy to miss. In fact, I remember thinking at the moment "did I just see that?". This all sounds silly, but it seemed surreal and magical. Others who saw it also thought so as I heard synchronous reactions of "oohs", "aahs", and hushed whisperings from the audience. It was as if we were all on a safari and had just witnessed a sighting of a rare and timid animal. As I read somewhere recently (probably on this forum), Lopatkina WAS the swan that night. I certainly can see why she is also called the "Queen of slow". Also, there are two parts of the pas where Odette tilts her head and entire body back in an act of blind faith that her partner will be there with his arm on her back. We see such acts of partner trust all the time in dance, but both V and L did this so softly and seamlessly that I had to mention it here(and give credit to their partners). I will also add that both of these Odettes seemed to have boneless undulating arms that were two feet longer than a tape measure would read. Prior to this week, I had seen Swan Lake about
five times - mostly from ABT and Bolshoi. Frankly, before Friday night, it never did that much for me.

A few random comments about other dancers...The pas de Trois's were incredible for all three performances I saw. On night one after the pdT, I remember thinking that this Lopatkina girl (whoever she was) was going to have a tough act to follow.

Andrei Ivanov was the first jester I've not only liked (technically and comically), but looked forward to seeing on subsequent nights.

The corps de balletfor this Swan Lake production was the best I've ever noticed. Lines and synchronicity were (mostly) very impressive.

I felt bad that Irina Golub wasn't applauded when she first appeared as Juliet. But, I think the audience made up for it by the end of the night.

Yevgenia Obraztsova was a joy to watch as Juliet. I would never stay home on a night she was performing in town.

...ok, I guess it's mostly off my chest now. If I ever jump in again, I will keep it shorter. Promise.

Hi, Brian. Welcome to Critical Dance although I haven't been here much longer than you have. Above all when I go to a ballet performance I hope for the maximum of enjoyment. It is those special 'instances', such as the ones that compelled you to join a new group and do a posting at 3:30 in the morning, that I hope to experience--those moments of wonder and amazing beauty. Thank you for sharing them.

bcx, two things that you mentioned stand out in my mind.

Referring to your acquaintance's comment about Ulyana Lopatkina, "...her warmth. That's what really stayed with him, and I find that one of the most attractive features of a great dancer."

This is something that I will try to focus on the next time that I am fortunate enough to see Ulyana Lopatkina. Dancers like Altynai Asylmuratova and Zhanna Ayupova are among my favorites because of the "warmth" that they project--a wonderful quality ! Other dancers like Diana Vishneva or Margot Fonteyn have a similar effect on me because of the passion that they project--a love or a 'warmth' for what they are performing and for the audience that they are performing for.

"Art and beauty as a great country's contribution to the world".

What a wonderful statement ! When I think about ballet and modern-day Russia this kind of thought has also occured to me.

More reviews on the Swan Lakes (the first one has a gorgeous picture from the act 2 pas de deux with Vishneva and Kolb that's so quintessential of the Kirov):

Quote:

Mesmerized yet again by 'Swan Lake'Lewis Segal, LA Times

The Mariinsky Festival ended Sunday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with a performance of the Kirov Ballet "Swan Lake" led by the triumphant, redemptive Diana Vishneva.

Emphasizing abstract classicism, Konstantin Sergeyev's 1950 edition of the Petipa/Ivanov ballet doesn't retell the familiar story but merely refers to it from time to time. However, Vishneva restored its dramatic intensity with dancing that pulled you deeply into Odette's plight.more

Quote:

Corps values shine in this 'Swan Lake'Lewis Segal, LA Times

Thirty-two swans moving as one, a Swan Queen of thrilling classical purity, an overfamiliar Tchaikovsky score made fresh and glowing: The Kirov Ballet certainly knows how to keep an audience happy and it did just that Friday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

In the company's first performance this season of the complete "Swan Lake," corps values remained stratospheric, Pavel Bubelnikov led the Kirov Orchestra to glory and Uliana Lopatkina made Odette not only a stellar projection of the corps' pristine style but also a living embodiment of the music. The way she magically softened during the White Swan duet proved highly imaginative, tracing Odette's growing trust, hope and love without any obvious acting ploys.more

Quote:

Kirov Ballet: Cool perfectionLaura Bleiberg, Orange County Register

The Kirov Ballet brought its "Swan Lake" to the Performing Arts Center for the first time this weekend, dancing it like a hallowed gift of incalculable worth.

The ballet's second act is the test for the 32 ballerinas of the corps de ballet, and they made it an ultimate achievement. With nary a finger out of place, or a pointed toe out of sequence, these white-tutu'ed ballerinas posed and gestured in perfect precision.more

Bank of America Celebrity Series and The Wang Center for the Performing
Arts to Present
THE KIROV BALLET AND ORCHESTRA
SWAN LAKE
NOVEMBER 9-12 AT THE WANG THEATRE

Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva and Igor Zelensky to dance in Boston

(Boston) Bank of America Celebrity Series, Martha H. Jones, President
and Executive Director, and The Wang Center for the Performing Arts,
Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President and CEO, will present THE KIROV
BALLET AND ORCHESTRA
in five performances of SWAN LAKE, Thursday, November 9 at 7:30pm,
Friday, November 10 at 8pm, Saturday, November 11 at 2 and 8pm and Sunday,
November 12 at 3pm at The Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston.

This engagement is part of the 2006-2007 DANCE SERIES, which is
co-presented by Bank of America Celebrity Series and The Wang Center for the
Performing Arts, and sponsored by The Little Family Foundation with
additional support provided by The Poduska Family Foundation. Major support
for the Boston engagement of the Kirov Ballet and Orchestra is provided
by the Classical Dance Initiative; Spring Sirkin & Arthur Frank and
Jann Leeming & Arthur Little, founders and major sponsors. Media partner
is WGBH.

The CELEBRITY SERIES and THE WANG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
co-presented the last Boston engagement of The Kirov Ballet and Orchestra in
November 2003.

SWAN LAKE, with Tchaikovsky's inspired and beloved score, and Marius
Petipa's and Lev Ivanov's original choreography, is one of the Kirov's
signature works and arguably the world's most beloved full-length ballet.
The Kirov Ballet dances Konstantin Sergeyev's production of Swan Lake
from 1950. A romantic, fairy-tale saga of eternal love struggling to
overcome the forces of evil, Swan Lake tells the story of young Prince
Siegfried, who falls in love with the Swan Queen Odette, a woman
transformed into a bird by an evil sorcerer until she is rescued by a man's
undying love. Enthralled by her beauty, the Prince pledges his eternal
love, but later is tricked by the sorcerer, von Rothbart, into declaring
his love for Odile, an evil twin of Odette. Realizing his inadvertent
betrayal, the Prince rushes back to the lake. There, he battles von
Rothbart, and destroys his power. Then, in this Social Realist Soviet-era
happy ending, the lovers are reunited in a joyous finale.

THE KIROV BALLET is one of the two major ballet companies of Russia,
the other being the Bolshoi Ballet. The history of the Mariinsky Ballet
Company (Kirov Ballet) dates from 1783, when the Bolshoi Theatre was
constructed. In 1889 the company moved into the nearby Mariinsky Theatre.
In 1935 the company was renamed the Kirov Ballet. In 1991 it was
officially renamed the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Ballet Company; however, on
its frequent tours abroad it is still referred to by its Soviet-era
name, the Kirov Ballet.

Under the direction of Marius Petipa the company premiered the
Tchaikovsky ballets "Sleeping Beauty" (1890) and "Swan Lake" (1895). The
company went into decline after the Russian Revolution in 1917, but the great
teacher and ballet mistress Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951) helped
preserve its traditions by training the company's principal dancers. Her
work became the foundation of ballet instruction in the Soviet Union.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the company has produced, along with
its traditional repertoire, ballets by Balanchine and other modern
choreographers. Oleg Vinogradov was the artistic director from 1977 to 1997;
Valery Gergiev now holds the post.

The historic Mariinsky Theatre is the home of the Mariinsky Ballet
Company (Kirov Ballet), and is a landmark in a great tradition of theatre
building in St. Petersburg. On January 29, 1849, a circus opened with a
festive equestrian show in the hall built opposite St. Petersburg's
Bolshoi Theatre. Exactly ten years later, the circus caught fire and burnt
down. This time the reconstructed building was designed purely for
musical performances. The opera company of the Bolshoi Theatre was the
first to be transferred here, followed by its ballet troupe. The new
theatre was opened on October 2, 1860 with a performance of Glinka's opera A
Life for the Tsar. It was named the Mariinsky Theatre after Alexander
II's wife Maria.

CASTING for The Kirov Ballet in Swan Lake, November 9-12 is as follows:

About the 2006-2007 Dance Series
The Kirov Ballet and Orchestra is the first company in 2006-2007 Dance
Series co-presented by Bank of America Celebrity Series and The Wang
Center for the Performing Arts. The Series runs from November 2006 to
April 2007 and will also include Pilobolus (December 8-10 at The Shubert
Theatre), Complexions (February 2 & 3 at The Tsai Performance Center),
Compaсia Nacional de Danza 2 (March 1 & 2 at The Shubert Theatre) Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater (April 26-29 at The Wang Theatre), and
Ballet Hispanico and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (May 18 & 19 at The
Shubert Theatre). The Dance Series is sponsored by The Little Family
Foundation with additional support provided by the Poduska Family
Foundation. Media partner is WGBH.

Bank of America Celebrity Series is New England's leading presenter of
music, dance, and the performing arts from around the world. Founded in
1938, the Series incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in 1989.
Each year, the Celebrity Series brings to Boston's major concert halls
performances by instrumental and vocal soloists, symphony orchestras,
chamber ensembles, dance companies, jazz and popular music performers,
folk and ethnic performance groups, and other performing artists. The
Celebrity Series' Arts, Education and Community program was initiated in
1984. It reaches over 20,000 students annually through more than 130
activities each year at 225 Boston area schools and organizations,
including AileyCamp Boston, a six-week summer dance program for Boston middle
school students. For more information on Bank of America Celebrity
Series, call (617) 482-2595 or visit us online at www.celebrityseries.org.

The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is a non-profit
organization dedicated to presenting broad-based, popular art and entertainment,
and arts education programming that is accessible to adults, youth and
families of diverse backgrounds and interests throughout greater
Boston. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts operates The Wang Theatre and
The Shubert Theatre. Through its ongoing collaboration with Bank of
America Celebrity Series and partnerships with its resident companies,
Boston Ballet and Boston Lyric Opera, as well as through public
programming initiatives such as free Shakespeare on the Common presented by The
Wang Center's Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, The Wang Center for the
Performing Arts presents culturally diverse theatrical experiences to
the public. The Wang Center's Education Department, through its
endowment fund, helps to build community and neighborhood partnerships and
programs including Dance Across the City, Celebrate Shakespeare Day and
City Spotlights, debuting in Spring 2007.

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